Ana Dediu

Europe in 1985 Ana Dediu

"Everybody, by nature, desires knowledge" said Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC), and Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) added: "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest".1985 was a remarkable year: Ronald Reagan, 74, (1911 - 2004, aged 93.3) was sworn in for a second term as President of the United States; Mikhail Gorbachev, 54, (born 1931) becomes General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party, de facto leader of the Soviet Union, and shortly he will peacefully change history; Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva; the Internet's Domain Name System was created; President of France was François Mitterrand, 69, (1916 - 1996, aged 79.2); Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was Margaret Thatcher, 60, (1925 - 2013, aged 87.5); China's leader was Deng Xiaoping, 81, (1904 - 1997, aged 92.5); Japan's Emperor was Hirohito, 84, (1901 - 1989, aged 87.7); Tancredo Neves, 75, (1910 - 1985, aged 75) was elected on 15 January President of Brazil by the Congress, ending the 21-year military rule (from 1964), but died on the 4th of March, before taking office, then José Sarney, 55, (born 1930) became President of Brazil on 21 April, until 1990; in West Germany the Chancellor was Helmut Kohl, 55, (1930 - 2017, aged 87.2; the current Chancellor Angela Merkel, 31 in 1985, (born 1954) started her political career as Kohl's protégée), the Schengen Agreement was signed between 5 member states of the European Economic Community, creating the Schengen Area, a bloc with no internal border controls (in 2017 - 26 states). In these exceptional circumstances, my mother Ana Dediu (1912 - 2010, aged 97.6) writes with much talent and candor, to my wife Sophia, about events from 1985. There are also many attractive and historic photographs, which add another dimension, giving the possibility to see different places at different times, with different people. The more you read, the more you'll love it! This book brings a rainbow of interesting information, which will certainly enhance everybody's joie de vivre!